Sustrans.
I cycled part of the Cloud trail today between Breedon on the Hill and Wilson villages. I met a pair of tractors working bashing down the undergrowth on either side of the trail.
The vegetation they were knocking down has in my view no impact on the usability of the trail, and was achieving no useful purpose what so ever.
What was being achieved was the destruction of (approx calc) 3.5 square miles of quality bee pasture and a considerable carbon footprint being stamped on the ground. Large tractors burn a fair bit of fuel, some 14 gallons per hour for the two machines involved. Needless expenditure of time, fuel and effort. All to achieve a negative result.
The benefits being negligible, the damage being considerable, Sustrans needs to have a think here.
Sustrans tell me they have commissioned ecologists to review their program, to which I would say they have better get a move on to save the rest of the forage from destruction. It’s not just honey bees being adversely affected but moths, bumbles and goodness knows what all else is being deprived of their nectar.
Poor show all in all. Very poor.
PH
